# Wadsworth, Ohio

Wadsworth is a city in Medina County, Ohio, United States. Founded on March 1, 1814, the city was named after General Elijah Wadsworth, a Revolutionary War hero and War of 1812 officer who owned the largest share of the lands that became Medina County. The population of Wadsworth was 24,007 at the 2020 census.

## History

A post office called Wadsworth has been in operation since 1823.

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.62 square miles (27.51 km$^2$), all land. It is located just a few miles south of the Saint Lawrence River Divide. Wadsworth is located approximately 11.6 miles (18.7 km) southwest of Akron and 32.8 miles (52.8 km) south of Cleveland.

## Demographics

As of 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $48,605, and the median income for a family was $58,850. Males had a median income of $41,626 versus $25,805 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,859. 5.4% of the population and 4.2% of families were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under the age of 18 and 5.6% of those 65 and older.

### 2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 21,567 people, 8,609 households, and 5,803 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,030.8 inhabitants per square mile (784.1/km$^2$). There were 9,320 housing units at an average density of 877.6 per square mile (338.8/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the city was 96.9% White, 0.8% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.2% of the population.
There were 8,609 households, of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.6% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.05.
The median age in the city was 38.7 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.2% were from 25 to 44; 25% were from 45 to 64; and 15.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.
Of the city's population over the age of 25, 31.2% held a bachelor's degree or higher.

## Arts and culture

The Blue Tip Festival is an annual event which includes a parade, amusement rides, foods, midway games, merchants, entertainment, and contests. The festival is named after the strike-anywhere blue tip matches which were once manufactured in Wadsworth until the 1980s.
The city is served by the Wadsworth Public Library.

## Education

The Wadsworth City School District is the single largest employer in the city. The district has benefited from the support of the community, which passed six of the last seven levies put before the voters. In addition, the district voters supported the Medina County Sales Tax (the first in Ohio), at a rate of 74% for the levy.
Wadsworth High School and Wadsworth Middle School are members of the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
Other schools in the city of Wadsworth include Sacred Heart School, a Roman Catholic parochial school serving Kindergarten through 8th grade.

## Media

Wadsworth is served by a daily newspaper, The Medina County Gazette, which is published every day of the week except Sundays. In addition, the Akron Beacon Journal and the Cleveland Plain Dealer occasionally cover the city and Medina County. Wadsworth is served by numerous television and radio stations from both the Greater Cleveland, Greater Akron and Greater Canton areas.

## Infrastructure

Wadsworth is served by the Wadsworth Municipal Airport, which is located 2 miles (3.22 km) southwest of the city. Skypark Airport is located 2 miles west of the city.I-76 traverses the city. State routes include OH-57, OH-94 and OH-261.

## Notable people

* Dwier Brown, actor in Field of Dreams
* Nancy Everhard, actress
* Scott Fletcher, MLB infielder
* Michael Foreman, astronaut
* Ben Hess, NASCAR driver.
* Drew Pearson, Grammy Award-nominated songwriter
* Alban W. Purcell, 19th Century stage actor
* Jim Renacci, former U.S. representative for Ohio's 16th congressional district and Mayor of Wadsworth
* Laura Spelman Rockefeller, wife of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller
* Bishop Sankey, NFL running back
* Andy Sonnanstine, MLB pitcher
* Wilbur H. Tousley, Wisconsin State Assembly and newspaper publisher
* Carolyn Treffinger, children's author